Tokyo Ravens - Volume 12 - Chapter 5.4

Part 4 
When Takiko visited Kurahashi alone, he had been in contact with Yuge. 
"......Understood. Don't chase. Give a detailed report later, return and stay on standby for now." 
"......Are you talking about Suzuka?" 
Takiko asked Kurahashi when he had hung up the phone. 
Kurahashi nodded, unable to conceal it. But Takiko was affected less than Kurahashi had anticipated. 
"I saw her at the time." 
Takiko said preemptively. Perhaps her expression already exposed that thought. 
"......Why didn't you stop her?" Kurahashi moved his eyes. 
"Stopping her has no meaning in the first place. When I saw that news, I realized why Yashamaru and Kumomaru left the agency building. Then I just wanted to see Suzuka. Then I happened to notice Officer Yuge 'watching'." 
Yuge didn't know Takiko. It wouldn't be good for Takiko to come in contact with Suzuka while Yuge was monitoring her. A correct judgment. 
"I wanted to say something at the end at least...... But maybe this is better." 
"Why?" 
"Because......" 
Takiko didn't explain. Perhaps Kurahashi already knew the reason. 
Maybe she was thinking of the failure from two years ago. She had tried to benefit herself and others at the same time, but had ended up bringing others even greater misfortune. 
She had wanted to rely on her, and had ended up being forced to leave her. Tsuchimikado Natsume had been the same. Tsuchimikado Harutora had been the same. 
That was why she felt scared. 

Afterwards, Takiko and Kurahashi waited for reports together in the executive office. 
Thinking back, the first time the two of them had been alone together had been when she renewed the Yase Doji contracts. Her mindset was already greatly different from before, proof of her growth and accumulated experience. 
But was she herself happy about those changes? Was it fortune or misfortune for her and the ones around her? 
All she could say was that she bore responsibility for the future that she was leading them towards. 
"......Soon." 
"Eh?" 
"Dairenji Suzuka, Tsuchimikado Natsume, and Tsuchimikado Harutora. You'll see them soon." 
Takiko looked at Kurahashi in moderate surprise, muttering "Really......". 
Then, Kurahashi got a phone call from the Shinjuku Branch. The report said that Miyachi had already started using the Yamantaka method. That meant that Yashamaru and Kumomaru had already caught Harutora. 
When he put down the receiver, Takiko stood up looking angry. 
"Chief Kurahashi, I'll go there too." 
He knew she would say this. Of course, the answer was 'No'. The situation was extremely precarious, and he wouldn't permit another mistake. 
But unexpectedly, he couldn't say the word 'No'. 
He felt like Takiko's body was surrounded by some kind of 'presence' as she stood there tensely. 
A spiritual presence in a higher position than him - To Kurahashi, who had been steeped in magic his whole life, such a presence could not be disobeyed. 
The princess was already prepared. Kurahashi broke out into a cold sweat when he thought of Yashamaru's words. 
"I want to go there now. Can you send out a helicopter?" 
"......I can, but......" 
"If you can, then please do. I want to get there fast." She requested flatly. 
As a result, Kurahashi agreed with bated breath. Then, he inadvertently tried asking: 
"Uh...... Is that a revelation from your god?" 
Takiko smiled. It was a strange smile. 
"Chief Kurahashi. Our god won't tell us the future. He only gives us the strength to open the way to the future." 

 

They had been chased into an impasse. 
Tsuchimikado Harutora's Hishamaru and Kakugyouki, and Ohtomo Jin's Gozu and Mezu. Harutora refused to fight together, but that didn't change the severity of their current situation. 
...It looked like today's gamble had truly been a failure. 
Yashamaru made a somewhat self-derisive appraisal. 
Natsume had just managed to run into Harutora, and Harutora had just managed to run into Ohtomo. The situation had developed completely differently from the plan. He had always known this wouldn't be easy, but now he could only press on. 
But first they had to escape from this quandary. 
Yashamaru racked his brains to think. He paid attention to Ohtomo's Fire Realm chant while staring at Harutora's every move. Supposing that there was an opening......! 

The probability was low. Qualified practitioners were determined by inspiration rather than suppositions. The first-rate were not bound by 'formulas'. 
True practitioners and Onmyouji required intuition that surpassed 'formulas'. Intuition for treading into the theory of yin and yang was inspiration in the truest sense. 
"Kumomaru." 
"Yes!" 
Following Yashamaru's instruction, Kumomaru started forming a spell. It still wasn't complete. Yashamaru reached out to the 'answer' inside him... 
But instead of an 'answer' from the inside was Ohtomo's Fire Realm magic from the outside. 
Suddenly, noticing a presence in the sky that he couldn't ignore, Yashamaru looked up and couldn't believe his eyes. 
"...Princess? Why are you here!?" 
The shocked Yashamaru and the stunned Kumomaru. 
The helicopter stopped above their heads and the door opened. 
It was their master. 
Her hair was tinted with divine light as it danced in the firelight and gusting wind. Her alluring eyes looked down at the eyes of all present, throwing them into disarray. 
An overwhelming spiritual presence that seemed to be able to freeze nearby souls just by standing there. 
Takiko had already been 'possessed'. Strength suddenly flew into the Yase Doji. And it was still only 'halfway', still advancing to a realm farther ahead. 
"Don't do it! It's still too early!" 
Yashamaru shouted loudly. 
But Takiko jumped down from the helicopter like a shaman dedicating her body to a god. 
They unconsciously rushed towards their master. Yashamaru and Kumomaru both instinctively flew towards their master without a care for the threats of Harutora and Ohtomo behind them. 
Then-- 
Takiko's aura exploded. 
The earth's spiritual pulse shifted and the sky shook. 
Yashamaru instantly reached Takiko and 'saw' the aura overflowing into the world. 
Huge and indescribable. A presence that even surpassed the concept of space. Its number couldn't be described either. It was both one and thousands, surpassing the concept of 'number'. Humans couldn't accurately grasp its true form. 
It appeared in the world by borrowing Takiko's 'shamanic' body. 
The original, most essential magic - and at the same time, the most dangerous. 
God summoning. 
Takiko's descent kept slowing down and she finally stopped in midair. Her limbs were lifeless and her eyes were closed. Only her hair and ornaments were fluttering. She looked to have fallen into a comatose state already. 
Tremendous aura constantly poured into the world as if a great hole had opened in some wall. 
Yashamaru jumped to the building below his master and looked at her. 
His heartbeat accelerated. He was so excited that his vision spun. 
But...... 
This agitation calmed down rapidly. Yashamaru finally noticed the chant coming from behind his back. 
It was a prayer. 
He turned and looked. Kumomaru was taking a stance, keeping the enemies in check in his place. But it looked like there was no longer reason to do so. 
Paling at Takiko's spiritual pressure, Ohtomo and the oni next to him were frozen in place. This spiritual might was too much of a deterrent to the shikigami. 
Kakugyouki had also helped Hishamaru back to their master. The one-armed oni stared at Takiko with his most profound expression so far. 
But Harutora single-mindedly chanted a prayer under his shikigamis' protection. 
A soul-protecting prayer. 
Suddenly, Takiko fell down as if her strings had been cut. Yashamaru hastily caught her. 
Takiko had lost consciousness. That spiritual might had vanished, and the flow of spiritual power had also stopped. 
But the spiritual power that had already flown out hadn't vanished. 
"...! Not good. Hishamaru, Kakugyouki, retreat! Hurry!" 
The great spiritual power that had just poured forth entered the spirit flow and even overturned spiritual layers. 
The earth shook. 
Then - the first spiritual disaster occurred. Then another. And the third, and the fourth...... 
Yin, yang, and the five elements danced. 
Yashamaru looked at that scene, but Kumomaru behind him howled, his mouth unconsciously forming a joyous smile. 
His master still hadn't summoned the god, she had just 'come in contact'. What kind of strength did it have to cause such spiritual ruin with just that much? 
"......Incredible."